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42
INCONTINENCE PADS
Supplied of incontinence pads have been issued to 136 patients in their own
homes, on the recommendation of the family doctor or district nurse. Recipients
must be able to make satisfactory arrangements for the disposal of the used pads.
DOMICILIARY MIDWIFERY SERVICE
The trend for hospital confinement continued and the Council midwives
delivered a hundred fewer patients at home than in 1966, but the number of early
discharges of maternity patients from hospital increased. The future of the
domiciliary service of midwives will be verv interesting to watch and to see on
what lines it will develop.
Late in 1967, an interesting discussion of senior midwifery staff of the
Weir Hospital and the supervisors of midwives of Wandsworth and Lambeth was
held on the possibility of a general practitioner unit being set up. The patients
would go into hospital, the doctor and domiciliary midwife would attend and
deliver the patient in hospital. The mother and baby would remain in hospital
a short time (48 hours maximum) then return to her home for the rest of her nursing
care provided her condition was satisfactory. This plan, it was thought, would
give the mother in carefully selected patients the best possible service.
A few midwives visited and gave short talks in some of the Mother and Baby
Homes in the area. These were greatly appreciated by the residents. Classes in
relaxation and training for labour are gradually increasing.
During the year 34 student midwives were allocated to the Council midwives
for their district training of three months. This is the most interesting part of
midwifery training and introduces nurses to the health and social services outside
the hospital. The student midwives come from the South London Hospital, Annie
McCall Hospital and Dulwich Hospital.
Clinics are held in the Centres by the Council’s medical officers and midwives,
and by general practitioner obstetricians, at which they examine their
patients with the midwives. The clinics are attended by patients booked for
both domiciliary and hospital confinements.
The 24 hour supervision of the service shared with the Boroughs of Southwark
and Wandsworth through the Emergency Control Service continues to work
satisfactorily.
Thanks are due to the Lambeth District Nursing Association and the South
London Hospital for their co-operation and help during the year.